Washing-machine



J. B. BELL.

WAsHNG MACHINE.

, (No Model.)

No. 335,880. Patented Peb. 9, 1886.

JOHN B. BELL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

WASHING-MACHINE..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,880. dated February9 1886.

Application filed September 20, 1884. Serial No. 143,600. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN B. BELL, acitizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania7 have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClothes-Vashers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to that class ofclotheswashers in which a dasheror beater is suitably journaled in relation to the suds-boX, and isadapted to reciprocate within the latter.

My invention consists in certain improvements over my former patent, No.270,726, dated January 16, 1883; and it further consists in certainimprovements in the construetion and operation, substantially as will behereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vert-ical longitudinal sectional viewofawashing-machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a verticaltransverse sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspectiveview of the beater or rubber. Fig. 4 is a detail side view illustratinga modification in the mechanism for operating the beater-frame.

Corresponding parts in the figures are denoted by the same letters ofreference.

Referring to the drawings, A designatesthe sudsbox, whichforms the bodyof my improved clothes-washer. The box A preferably comprises sides a a,inwardly convergent or inclined ends a a', and a concave bottom, a2, asshown. Each end of the box is preferably provided with a series ofstationary rungs or slats, B,\vhich seriesincline toward the center ofthe box,A against which the clothes are driven by the reciprocatingbeater. At the bottom of these series of rungs, and at the junction ofthe bottom and ends of the box, transverse corrugated strips C Gareprovided, the foregoing construction being substantially as illustratedin my above-mentioned patent.

The bottom of the suds-box formsasegment of a circle, and to provide forthis the ends of the bottom piece, a2, diverge from the plane of thesegment, so that the transverse corrugated end strips will complete andform the ends of the interior segmental face of the bottom, above whichthe lower end of the beater reciprocates in a corresponding segmentalplane. The corrugations upon the strips C are formed with an abrupt wall0r shoulder, c, from which the face of the strip is inclined toward thecenter of the box, as shown at c', by which construction the clotheswill be carried over the surface of the strip on the upward stroke ofthe beater toward the ends of the box; but instead of sliding back theywill encounter the abrupt walls or shoulders of the corrugations, andwill turn over and present a new surface to each stroke ofthe beater.

Under some circumstances the strips C C may be dispensed with, in whichcase the corrugations will be formed directly upon the bottom piece.

D D designate the parallel upright side pieces of the beater-fram e,which are provided with lateral gudgeons cl d, having suitable bearingsat the top of the sides a a. The bottom ends of the side pieces, D D,are connected by a transverse bar or rung, E, preferably formed of woodand wider than the transverse rungs or slats F,which are disposed in avertical series above it and form the beater. This wide bottom bar isadapted to go under the clothes and assist in turning them over at eachstroke. A transverse handle-bar, G, connects the side pieces, D D, abovetheir bearing, and the said side pieces are provided with aneXtension,D, above the handle-bar, upon which weights H are fitted.These weights are preferably formed by oblong blocks placedlongitudinally in relation to the suds-box, and provided with a centralperforation, h, to receive the eXtensions D', upon which the weights arepreferably vertically adjustable or removable therefrom by means ofset-screws l'. By this arrangement the weights may be readily adjustedaccording to the work to be done or the strength of the operator.

It is obvious that the beater may be readily reciprocated by means ofthe handle-bar, and that the adjustable weights, in the position abovedescribed, will accelerate the velocity and force of the beater and'itsaction upon the clothes, and will enable the operation of the machinewith a small expenditure of power.

Wlhen steam or other power is to be used to provide for the moreconvenient operation of the machine, a crank-wheel, J, is journaledinsuitable bearings upon standards K K, projeeting at the end of the boxA. A pitman,

'L, extends from this crank-Wheel, and has its other end provided withan elongated bearingslot, Z, which receives a journalpin, d', projectingfrom the side piece, D, above its bearing. It will be seen that the endofthe pitman which is connected to the end of the beater will have itsgreatest velocity at the top and bottom of the stroke of the crank. Theelongated bearing Z is therefore provided to enable the beater tocontinue the velocity imparted by the weights, and not have its momentumretardedl by the slower motion of the crank at each extreme end of thestroke, at' which .point thejournal-pin d is adapted to slide in theelongated slot. Thus the momentum of the beater is only arrested by itscontact with the clothes, which therefore receive the full force of thestroke, whether there be a small or large quantity of clothes in thebox.

In the modification illustrated-in Fig. 4 a suitable frame is secured atthe top of the box, and provides bearings for two intermeshinggear-Wheels, B5 B5, carrying cams C5, a band Wheel, D5, being providedupon the end ofthe shaft of one of the gear-Wheels, to provide fortransmitting motion to the gears to cause them to revolve upon theirbearings in the frame A5. As the gear-wheels revolve, the cams engagealternately with the lateral piu d upon one of the side pieces, D, ofthe beater-frame, and thereby effects the operation of the latter.

I claim as my invention- The combination of the beater' comprising theside pieces having suitable bearings, and provided with the journal-pinabove said bea rings, thel side pieces being connected by the handle-barat their top, andA provided with extensions above said bar, the Weightsfitted upon these extensions, the crank-Wheel, and the pitman extendingfrom the oranlcwheel, and provided with the elongated bearing receivingthejournal-pin upon the beater, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN B. BELL.

\Vitn esses:

WM. LITTLE, JxMEs M. BELL.

